Making it to the top of a hill is never done without exerting some effort.

Even though it took 10 extra shots, West Chicago Wheaton Academy sophomore Josh Ruggles claimed the 2013 King of the Hill title, going 6-for-10 from 3-point range in a shootout with Kewanee senior Dayton Ince, who tallied four in the extra round.

Ruggles, who won the Class 3A Three-Point Showdown on Friday evening, went 3-for-5 on both of the baseline racks during the shootout, hitting the fifth and deciding shot on his eighth attempt.

“You’re a little bit more shaky,” Ruggles said of the shootout. “There’s a lot more on the line when it’s just down to two people, but other than that it’s just normal, taking the shots like you would in the earlier round.”

Both Ruggles and Ince, who won the Class 2A Three-Point Showdown the previous weekend, went 11-for-15 in the opening round, topping Hanover River Ridge sophomore Brenden Dauphin (9) and Bradley-Bourbonnais junior Bennet Schimmelpfenning (5).

Ince quickly became a fan favorite, knocking down his first eight attempts. With each make, the reaction from the crowd became louder and louder.

“I wanted to start strong, and hitting the first eight I heard people starting to count,” Ince said. “That kind of threw me off a little bit, because I was trying to make 15.”

Ruggles missed his first attempt in the regulation round, hit his next six, and closed with a 4-for-5 final rack. He missed his last shot, which would have won him the title right then.

Still, the sophomore was able to take advantage of a comfort zone from being able to shoot at Carver Arena for three consecutive days.

“I was pretty comfortable,” Ruggles said. “Shooting three days in a row, you get used to the crowd and being in the middle of it all, and you feel fine out there. You just shoot, and it makes it a lot easier on yourself.”